Amerikaner FPV

Getting Started

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

See the getting started guide.

Drone types

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

When we talk about drones, there’s a few distinctions based on size and usage.

Drone types

These are relevant to the discussion; there are other kinds as well.

FPV drones are quadcopters (“quads”) ranging in size up to roughly a foot in size. They have a fixed forward camera that the operator sees through using a headset and are flown this way. Some also carry a GoPro for better footage that can be retrieved when the drone lands. Some FPV drones have gimbal mounted cameras like camera drones but this is rare.
Camera drones, which are in the same class but can be larger. They typically have a gimbal mounted cameras and longer flight times. They are flown primarily by watching video on a controller. The DJI drones are probably the best-known of these.
Drone munitions like the Geran-3, which have 10 foot wingspans and are roughly 15 feet long.

We won’t discuss drone munitions here; when we discuss drone tactics, techniques, and procedures, they refer to FPV and possibly camera drones. Other than TTPs, camera drones aren’t covered here.

Flight modes

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Angle

Acro

Horizon

FPV Goggles

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

There are two types of goggles: box and binocular. Box goggles are cheaper, but some people (myself included) prefer the binocular style.

Goggles will have a DVR feature (if you see a set of goggles that do not have DVR, do not buy them); unless a drone is equipped with a second camera like a GoPro, this is how you retrieve footage from the drone.

There are some optional features that you’ll find:

Getting started with FPV

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

FPV drones can be overwhelming at first when you’re trying to figure out where to get started. I’m going to start by offering two options right out of the gate, then we’ll dig more into why we’re doing this.

I highly recommend starting with a simulator, then getting an RTF kit.

You’ll also find out that almost all of the FPV parts are made in and sold from China. As best as I can tell, there are no consumer level FPV drones made in the US, much less parts like motors and flight controllers.

Starter kit

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Placeholder for a gear write-up.